A Bengaluru man has won a legal battle against PVR Cinemas, INOX, and BookMyShow after suing them for “wasting” 25 minutes of his time by running extended advertisements before a movie screening. The consumer court ruled in his favor, awarding him ₹65,000 in compensatory damages.
Lawsuit Over Delayed Movie Start
Abhishek M.R., a 30-year-old resident of Bengaluru, had booked three tickets for the movie Sam Bahadur in 2023 for a 4:05 PM show. However, instead of the film starting on time, it was delayed by nearly 25 minutes due to advertisements and trailers. As a result, the movie ended later than expected, disrupting his schedule.
In his complaint, Abhishek argued that the delay caused “mental agony” and financial loss, as he had planned to return to work after the movie. He called the practice of misleading show timings an “unfair trade practice” designed to take undue advantage of audiences.
Consumer Court’s Verdict
The consumer court ruled that “time is considered as money” and that no business has the right to benefit from others’ time and money unfairly. It directed PVR Cinemas and INOX to:
- Pay ₹50,000 for unfair trade practices.
- Pay ₹5,000 for mental distress.
- Pay ₹10,000 to cover legal costs.
- Deposit ₹1 lakh to the Consumer Welfare Fund as a penalty.
However, the court held that BookMyShow was not liable, as it is only a ticket-booking platform and has no control over advertisement durations.
PVR-INOX’s Defense and Court’s Response
PVR Cinemas and INOX defended themselves, arguing that they are legally required to screen Public Service Announcements (PSAs) for awareness. The court, however, clarified that PSAs should only be played for a limited time—within 10 minutes before the film starts or during the interval.
Final Order
The court mandated that the penalties be paid within 30 days from the date of the order. This ruling sets a precedent for consumers frustrated by excessive advertisements in theaters.
Sources By Agencies
